Telescopic end section for telescopic travel trailer

ABSTRACT

A telescopic travel trailer having telescopic end sections. The trailer includes an upper trailer section disposed to telescope vertically with respect to a lower trailer section from a retracted lower position for transporting to an extended upper position for camping. End sections are mounted for sliding movement on the open-ended upper trailer section and each end section telescopes horizontally between a retracted inner position and an extended outer position. A horizontal shelf is located within each end section, and in its lower position serves as a bunk. The shelf can be moved above the level of the upper trailer section so that the telescopic end section can be moved to the retracted inner position for traveling.

United States Patent 1 11 3,740,088 Ratcliff June 19, 1973 TELESCOPICEND SECTION FOR TELESCOPIC TRAVEL TRAILER Inventor: John W. Ratcliif,RR. 1, Marengo,

Filed: Jan. 10, 1972 Appl. No.: 216,706

Related US. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 68,071, Aug. 31,1970, abandoned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1922 Follett 296/26 Marple296/23 C Primary ExaminerPhilip Goodman Attorney-Andrus, Sceales, Starke& Sawall [57] ABSTRACT A telescopic travel trailer having; telescopicend sections. The trailer includes an upper trailer section disposed totelescope vertically with respect to a lower trailer section from aretracted lower position for transporting to an extended upper positionfor camping. End sections are mounted for sliding movement on theopen-ended upper trailer section and each end section telescopeshorizontally between a retracted inner position and an extended outerposition. A horizontal shelf is located within each end section, and inits lower position serves as a bunk. The shelf can be moved above thelevel of the upper trailer section so that the telescopic end sectioncan be moved to the retracted inner position for traveling.

11 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures minim Jllll n 9 ma SBEEIlUfZ INVENTOR. JOHNW. RATCLIFF AZMZZM Attor neys TELESCOPIC END SECTION FOR TELESCOPICTRAVEL TRAILER This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 68,071,filed Aug. 31, 1970.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a telescopictravel trailer and more particularly to a telescopic travel trailerhaving telescopic end sections.

A telescopic travel trailer comprises a lower trailer section and anupper trailer section which telescopes vertically with respect to thelower section. The upper trailer section is adapted to be lowered to aretracted position for transporting and raised to an extended upperposition for camping.

In the past, telescopic end sections have been utilized in conjunctionwith truck-mounted campers and nontelescopic travel trailers to provideadditional bed space. With a camper, an end section is telescopedoutwardly from within the camper to an extended position over the truckcab to form additional space generally used for a bed, while with atravel trailer, an end section, which extends the full height of thetrailer, or only a partial height of the trailer, is telescoped from aretracted position, in which the end section is located within thetrailer, to an extended position However, telescopic end sections havenot been successfully incorporated with a vertically telescopic traveltrailer for the retracted end sections, being located within theconfines of the trailer, will normally interfere with verticaltelescopic movement of the trailer sections.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a telescopic traveltrailer having telescopic end sections. According to the invention, atelescopic end section is mounted on the openended upper trailer sectionand is disposed to telescope horizontally between a retracted innerposition and an extended outer position. The telescopic end sectionencloses the open end of the upper trailer section when in retractedinner position and telescopes to the extended outer position to provideadditional internal living space.

The upper surface of the telescopic'end section is located in spacedrelationship to. the upper roof of the trailer section to form a storagechamber, and a shelf is horizontally positioned within the end sectionand can be moved vertically between an upper or storage position fortraveling and a lower position where it is normally utilized as a bunkfor camping.

A plurality of latch assemblies are connected to the upper portion ofthe end section and releasibly secure the shelf in the upper or storageposition. With the shelf locked in the upper position, the end sectioncan therefore be telescoped to the retracted inner position withoutinterference with the shelf.

With the end section in the extended outer position, disengagement ofthe latch assemblies allows the shelf to descend to the lower position.When in the lower position, the shelf is supported by an inwardlyprojecting flange located on the telescopic end section and by a caplocated on the upper portion of the lower trailer section. Engagement ofthe shelf with the flange and cap provides a seal for the lower open endof the section when in the extended outer position.

For camping, the movable shelf may be utilized as a bunk, or theextended end section can be used for additional storage space.

It is within the scope of this invention to either utilize only onetelescopic end section or to utilize two telescopic end sections at eachend of the travel trailer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawings furnished herewithillustrate the best mode presently contemplated by the inventor andclearly disclose the above advantages and features as well as otherswhich will be readily understood from the detailed description thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a telescopic travel trailer having theupper trailer section in the extended upper position and showing one endsection in the retracted inner position and one end section in theextended outer position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken generally along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1with parts broken away;

FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the spring-loaded'latch assembly utilizedto lock the shelf in the upper position;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the rear portion of the trailerwith parts broken away and showing the shelf in the upper storageposition;

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, showing the shelf in the lower position;and

FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 4, showing the end section in the retractedinner position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 'vided with a pairof end sections 5 and 6 which are mounted for horizontal, telescopicmovement between a retracted inner position and an extended outerposition. End section 5 is illustrated in FIG. 1 in the retracted innerposition while end section 6 is illustrated in the extended outerposition. Under normal operation, end sections 5 and 6 are positioned inthe extended outer position for camping while positioned in theretracted inner position for traveling.

Since end sections 5 and 6 are identical in construction and operation,and since it is not imperative to utilize both end sections, only endsection 6 will be described in detail.

As best shown in FIG. 2, upper trailer section 4 is open ended andconsists of a pair of vertical sidewalls 7 joined by a horizontalceiling or top wall 8. Lower trailer section 2 contains a pair ofvertical sidewalls 9 spaced inwardly from vertical sidewalls 7 and arejoined by end walls 10. End section 6 is formed by ver- Sidewalls 7, 9and 11, end walls 10, 13 and 14, and roofs 8 and 12 are fabricated froma series of reinforcing members 15 formed of tubular metal, wood or thelike, and an outer skin 16 of metal, plastic or plywood is applied tothe outer surfaces of the members 15, while an inner skin or layer 17,formed of plywood or the like, is secured to the inner surfaces of themembers. Suitable insulation can be located in the walls between thespaced vertical and horizontal members 15.

A cap 18, formed of plastic or the like, is secured to the upperextremity of sidewalls 9 and end walls of lower trailer section 2. Whenthe upper trailer section 4 is in the raised or extended position, theinclined edge portion 19 of cap 18 bears against the resilient seal 20which is mounted on the inner surface of the sidewall 7 of upper trailersection 4. The seal 20 is provided with a downwardly extending lip 21which is secured between the outer skin 16 and the reinforcing membersof sidewall 7. The inclined edge 19 of cap 18 wedges against the seal20, compressing the seal and providing an air-tight joint between theupper trailer section 4 and the lower trailer section 2.

To guide end section 6 in horizontal telescopic movement, a pair ofguide wheels 22 and 23 are mounted for rotation on sidewall 11 and areadapted to ride on guide tracks 24 and 25 attached to the outer surface26 of sidewall 7 of upper trailer section 4. As shown in FIG. 2, theupper guide wheel 22 has a vertical axis and rides in the upper channelshaped track 24, while the lower guide wheel has a horizontal axis andrides in the lower channel shaped track 25 which is displaced 90 fromthe upper track 24. Guide tracks 24 and 25 together with wheels 22 and23 allow efficient and easy horizontal telescopic movement of endsection 6 with respect to the upper trailer section 4.

The sidewalls 11 and end wall 13 of the telescopic end section 6 alsohave inwardly projecting flanges 27 which prevent or reduce the flow ofdirt and debris between sidewalls 7 and 11. A resilient sealing strip 28can be attached to the inner edge of flange 27 to provide a seal betweenthe flange and the corresponding surface of the lower trailer section.

The roof 12 of end section 6 is spaced upwardly from horizontal roof 8of upper trailer section 4 to define a storage chamber 29, when endsection 6 is in the retracted inner position, as best shown in FIG. 6.

A shelf 30 is horizontally positioned in end section 6 and adapted to bevertically moved between an upper or storage position and a lowerposition. As shown in the drawings, the shelf 30 can support a mattressor bunk 31. Shelf 30 is locked in the upper position by a plurality ofspring loaded latch assemblies 32. As specifically shown in FIG. 3,latch assemblies 32 are mounted on the sidewalls 11 of end section 6,and each assembly includes a latch 33 pivotally mounted by a pin 34 tothe inner skin 17 of sidewall 11. A biasing spring 35 is attached tolatch 33 and to the inner surface of outer skin 16 to outwardly biaslatch assembly 32 to a latching position.

An inwardly projecting flange 36 is attached to the inner skins ofsidewalls 11 and end wall 13 of end section 6 to support the edge ofshelf 30 in the lower position. Flange 36 is positioned to behorizontally aligned with cap 18 when upper trailer section 4 is in theupper or extended position with respect to lower trailer section 2.

In operation, shelf 30 is vertically lowered to the lower position forcamping and vertically raised to the upper position for storage. Withspecific reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, shelf 30 is released from the upperposition by depressing latches 33. Shelf 30 is then allowed to descendto the lower or camping position in which it is supported by theinwardly projecting flange 36 and cap 18 which establish a sealed floorfor end section 6 when in the extended outer position. Therefore, shelf30 in the lower position prevents air and other extraneous matter fromentering the trailer when in the camping position, as best shown in FIG.5.

For storage, shelf 30 is manually raised to the upper position andsecured by latch assemblies 32. Specifically, the shelf 30, as it israised, will force latches 33 to pivot into sidewalls 11 therebycompressing spring 35. As shelf 30 rises above each latch 33, thebiasing spring 35 will force latch 33 into a locking position therebysecuring shelf 30 in the upper position for storage, as shown in FIG. 5.

With the shelf locked in the upper position, end section 6 can telescopeinwardly with respect to upper trailer section 4. As the end section isretracted, shelf 30 and mattress 31 telescope with end section 6 intochamber 29 for storage in the retracted inner position. A resilient seal37 is attached to the lower edge of end wall 14 to provide a slidableair-tight joint between end section 6 and the roof of upper trailersection 4. A latching member 39 and a latch receiving member 40 areconnected to end sections 5 and 6. The members 39 and 40 are aligned forengagement to secure end section 5 to end section 6 when in the innerretracted positions.

The shelf 30 may be utilized to hold and position a variety of fixturesand articles frequently used when camping. The illustrated embodimentshows a mattress 31 positioned on shelf 30 which may be lowered to thelower position with shelf 30 to provide a bed when camping. Mattress 31therefore rises to the upper position and similarly telescopes withshelf 30 into chamber 29 for storage.

Thus, to prepare for camping, upper trailer section 4 is raised to anextended position with respect to lower trailer section 2. End section 6is horizontally telescoped to an extended outer position and suitablebrace supports 38 are connected between outer wall 13 of end section 6and end wall 10 of lower trailer section 2. Latch assemblies 32 aredisengaged to permit shelf 30 with mattress 31 to descend to the lowerposition, thereby providing a bed and further sealing the bottom portionof end section 6.

To prepare for transportation, shelf 30 with mattress 31 is raised tothe upper or storage position and secured by latch assemblies 32. Bracesupports 38 are disconnected from end section 6 and lower trailersection 2. End section 6 is therefore horizontally telescoped to theretracted inner position which telescopes shelf 30 and mattress 31 intochamber 29 and seals the open end of upper trailer section 4.

The present invention thus provides additional trailer space byutilizing telescoping end section which may be readily telescopedhorizontally to inner retracted position for traveling withoutinterferring with the normal vertical telescopic movement of the uppertrailer section.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as beingwithin the scope of the following claims, particularly pointing out anddistinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as theinvention.

I claim:

1. A telescopic travel trailer, comprising a lower trailer section,

an upper trailer section having at least one open end and disposed totelescope vertically with respect to the lower trailer section from aretracted lower position to an extended upper position,

a telescopic end section mounted on said upper trailer section anddisposed to telescope horizontally with respect to said upper trailersection from a retracted inner position to an extended outer position,the upper surface of said end section disposed in spaced relation to theupper surface of said upper trailer section to define a storage chamber,and

a shelf horizontally positioned and disposed fro vertical movementwithin said telescopic end section and movable between a lower positionfor camping and an upper storage position, said upper storage positionbeing above the level of the upper surface of the upper trailer sectionwhereby said shelf will move into the storage chamber when said endsection is telescoped to the retracted inner position.

2. The trailer of claim 1 and including support means to support saidshelf in the lower position.

3. The trailer of claim 2, wherein said support means comprises a ledgeattached to the lower portion of said end section and extendingsubstantially continuously through-out the extent of the end section toprovide a seal between the shelf and the end section.

4. The trailer of claim 1, and including a plurality of latch assembliesconnected to the upper portion of said end section and disposed toreleasably lock said shelf in the upper position.

5. The trailer of claim 1, wherein said upper trailer section includes aceiling and said end section includes a pair of sidewalls, a roof, anouter end wall and an inner end wall, said ceiling of the upper trailersection roof and said roof, sidewalls and end walls of said end sectiondefining the storage chamber capable of receiving said shelf.

6. The trailer of claim 1, wherein said lower trailer section includesan end wall, and a cap mounted on the upper portion of said end wall,and

said end section includes an inwardly projecting flange in approximatehorizontal alignment with said cap when said upper trailer section is inextended upper position, said flange and said cap providing support forsaid shelf in the lower position.

7. The trailer of claim 1, and including a guide means interconnectingsaid end section and said upper trailer section for guiding said endsection for horizontal telescopic movement.

8. The trailer of claim 1, and including means connected to seal saidend section to said upper and lower trailer sections when said endsection is in the retracted inner position.

9. The trailer of claim 1, and including brace means interconnectingsaid end section and said lower trailer section to provide stability forsaid end section when in extended outer position and when said uppertrailer section is in extended upper position.

10. The trailer of claim 1, and including a mattress supported on saidshelf, said storage chamber having a sufficient height to receive theshelf and the mattress.

11. A telescopic travel trailer, comprising a lower trailer section,

an open-ended upper trailer section disposed to telescope verticallywith respect to the lower trailer section from a retracted lowerposition to an extended upper position, said upper trailer sectionincluding a pair of sidewalls and a top wall connecting the sidewallstogether,

telescopic end section mounted on said upper trailer section anddisposed to telescope horizon tally with respect to said upper trailersection from a retracted inner position to an extended outer p0 sition,said end section including a pair of sidewalls, an outer end wall, aninner end wall and a roof connecting said sidewalls and said end walls,said inner end wall being located above the top wall of the uppertrailer section and said roof being disposed in spaced relation to thetop wall of said upper trailer section to define a storage chamber,

a shelf horizontally positioned and disposed for vertical movementwithin said telescopic end section and movable between a lower positionfor camping and an upper storage position located above the level ofsaid top wall, said shelf moving into the storage chamber when in theupper position as said I end section is telescoped to the retractedinner position,

latch means for releasably latching the shelf in the upper storageposition,

support means for supporting the shelf in the lower position, I

first sealing means associated withthe lower edge of the inner end ,wallof said end section for providing a sliding seal between said lower edgeand the top wall of the upper trailer section, and

second sealing means for sealing the joint between the lower extremitiesof the sidewalls and the outer end wall of the end section and the lowertrailer section when the end section is in the retracted position.

1. A telescopic travel trailer, comprising a lower trailer section, anupper trailer section having at least one open end and disposed totelescope vertically with respect to the lower trailer section from aretracted lower position to an extended upper position, a telescopic endsection mounted on said upper trailer section and disposed to telescopehorizontally with respect to said upper trailer section from a retractedinner position to an extended outer position, the upper surface of saidend section disposed in spaced relation to the upper surface of saidupper trailer section to define a storage chamber, and a shelfhorizontally positioned and disposed fro vertical movement within saidtelescopic end section and movable between a lower position for campingand an upper storage position, said upper storage position being abovethe level of the upper surface of the upper trailer section whereby saidshelf will move into the storage chamber when said end section istelescoped to the retracted inner position.
 2. The trailer of claim 1and including support means to support said shelf in the lower position.3. The trailer of claim 2, wherein said support means comprises a ledgeattached to the lower portion of said end section and extendingsubstantially continuously through-out the extent of the end section toprovide a seal between the shelf and the end section.
 4. The trailer ofclaim 1, and including a plurality of latch assemblies connected To theupper portion of said end section and disposed to releasably lock saidshelf in the upper position.
 5. The trailer of claim 1, wherein saidupper trailer section includes a ceiling and said end section includes apair of sidewalls, a roof, an outer end wall and an inner end wall, saidceiling of the upper trailer section roof and said roof, sidewalls andend walls of said end section defining the storage chamber capable ofreceiving said shelf.
 6. The trailer of claim 1, wherein said lowertrailer section includes an end wall, and a cap mounted on the upperportion of said end wall, and said end section includes an inwardlyprojecting flange in approximate horizontal alignment with said cap whensaid upper trailer section is in extended upper position, said flangeand said cap providing support for said shelf in the lower position. 7.The trailer of claim 1, and including a guide means interconnecting saidend section and said upper trailer section for guiding said end sectionfor horizontal telescopic movement.
 8. The trailer of claim 1, andincluding means connected to seal said end section to said upper andlower trailer sections when said end section is in the retracted innerposition.
 9. The trailer of claim 1, and including brace meansinterconnecting said end section and said lower trailer section toprovide stability for said end section when in extended outer positionand when said upper trailer section is in extended upper position. 10.The trailer of claim 1, and including a mattress supported on saidshelf, said storage chamber having a sufficient height to receive theshelf and the mattress.
 11. A telescopic travel trailer, comprising alower trailer section, an open-ended upper trailer section disposed totelescope vertically with respect to the lower trailer section from aretracted lower position to an extended upper position, said uppertrailer section including a pair of sidewalls and a top wall connectingthe sidewalls together, a telescopic end section mounted on said uppertrailer section and disposed to telescope horizontally with respect tosaid upper trailer section from a retracted inner position to anextended outer position, said end section including a pair of sidewalls,an outer end wall, an inner end wall and a roof connecting saidsidewalls and said end walls, said inner end wall being located abovethe top wall of the upper trailer section and said roof being disposedin spaced relation to the top wall of said upper trailer section todefine a storage chamber, a shelf horizontally positioned and disposedfor vertical movement within said telescopic end section and movablebetween a lower position for camping and an upper storage positionlocated above the level of said top wall, said shelf moving into thestorage chamber when in the upper position as said end section istelescoped to the retracted inner position, latch means for releasablylatching the shelf in the upper storage position, support means forsupporting the shelf in the lower position, first sealing meansassociated with the lower edge of the inner end wall of said end sectionfor providing a sliding seal between said lower edge and the top wall ofthe upper trailer section, and second sealing means for sealing thejoint between the lower extremities of the sidewalls and the outer endwall of the end section and the lower trailer section when the endsection is in the retracted position.